Monday, 22 September 2014

Longlevens AFC: A Thriving Community Club

As the football season is again underway we look at the Longlevens Football Club. This progressive club whose 1st Team are the current County league champions were promoted to the Helenic West League for this season and what a start the team has made! Already, as we go to print they are unbeaten League leaders, scoring more goals that any other team by some margin. It is not surprising therefore that Longlevens have 4 Players in the Top goal scoring category. Craig Martin leads the way with 6 goals followed by Sean O’Connor and Ryan Hughes on 5, with Adie Hemming on 4 goals.

Ambitious Manager, James French has astutely improved his squad, by persuading several players from local clubs to join him. James is now happy with his current squad and with lots of competition for a team place; it provides the players with the incentive to maintain their form. Let’s hope that the team’s early form can be maintained throughout the season.

The 2nd, 3rd and 4th Adult teams will each be challenged this season, as they too are all playing in higher and stronger leagues. They prepared really well in pre–season training and have a significant number of additional young adult players joining the teams. This situation has generated a healthy optimism about this season and a high degree of expectation that each team will do well!

The Longlevens AFC Youth Section goes from strength to strength, with a further 3 teams joining, this season from the Longlevens Infants Academy. This now established link is allowing the Players to continue football during the transition from Infants to Youth football. In three years the number of teams has increased 2 to 7 and hopefully by 2017 there will be teams representing Longlevens Youth from U12’s to U18’s.

There are 4 teams at U12 competing in Mid Gloucester (Scorpions & Tigers) and the Cheltenham League (Lions & Leopards). The Lions have made a tremendous start and are currently top of the Cheltenham Division 1! New Managers Andy Griffiths and John Bricknell are delighted and are now looking to consolidate their team’s position.

The U12 teams have been training together at Longford lane with as many as 40 players attending the sessions. All the Coaches are involved in improving the players Skills and Stamina whilst Scorpions Coach Lee Martin provides specialist goalkeeping coaching. The photo shows Lee with the U12’s goalkeepers.

Luke Kavanagh and Ed Smylie are current 1st Team Players, who are now into their second season of coaching the U14’s in the Gloucester Youth League and enjoy combining their Plying / Coaching roles at Longlevens.

Finally, Daren Baldwin manages and coachers the U15 team and was the first coach to transfer from the Infants three seasons ago. Daren has established a strong team, who last season were runners up in both the League and Cup to a very successful Lydney team. The team will be tested again this season as they are in a combined U15/U16 division of the Gloucester league.

At U13, Jake Ellway and Jimmy Scurr are experiencing their first roles as Youth Manager / Coach. Jake and Jimmy play for the Longlevens Adult teams and have made an immediate impact with their squad. They think their team is very talented and the players are always prepared to listen and learn. This team could play really well this season.

Finally, to organise pitches for 7 Youth teams and 4 Adult teams over a week end, is an extremely difficult situation; however, this problem could be alleviated, if the sports field on Innesworth lane became available to the Youth teams? The Club has recently, submitted an application to the Gloucester City Council for use of the pitch and pavilion at this location, which has been redundant since the severe flooding of 2007. Although, there would be a huge amount of work required to get the ground fit for matches, the commitment of Committee, Coaches and Players at the club would ensure that the facility would become an asset for the Youth teams. With so much in progress and commitment in abundance, the future is certainly looking very bright for All the teams at LonglevensAFC.

Barnwood Primary School Update

As Barnwood Primary School embarks on another academic year , a strategy is in place to ensure that there is continuity for maintaining the future of the school, whilst maintaining the progressive and spiritual approach for which the school is recognised.

Mrs Anne Davies, the Head teacher has, with the blessing of the Governors decided to take a phased approach to retirement, which involves the measured transfer of her role and responsibilities to ,Mrs Julia Matson. Anne will continue as Headteacher for 3 days a week and Mrs Matson the school’s Deputy Head has taken up the position of Co-Headteacher for 2 days a week.

Julia has been at the school since 2004, initially as a Class teacher before becoming a member of the senior management team. The “partnership” has made a great start with both Anne and Julia very comfortable with this shared role. It is an excellent initiative, as it allows Julia the time to establish herself in the role, before accepting full responsibility and having Anne as a mentor is an added bonus!

The Teaching team also have additional staff members too, they are Mrs Overington who will look after Year 2 and Mrs Paisley , will look after Year 3, whilst becoming part of the Senior Leadership Team also. We wish them both well for the future at Barnwood.

In complying with the Governments directives, there have been two major school developments. One is implementing the the New School Curriculum. Staff worked very hard in preparation for the new curriculum and have created an exciting and engaging prospectus which provides the very best opportunities for all pupils at Barnwood.

The second development is providing Hot School Lunches for the whole Key Stage 1, who are pupils 4 -7 years old. In complying with the Governments mandate, Barnwood has in place a comprehensive range of Lunch menus which offer a range of Healthy and Nutritious meals, provided by ABM Catering.

Three choices are available daily, with a vegetarian option and a salad bar also. It is a credit to the school’s organisation and resources that this status has been achieved so quickly!

Similarly the school is benefitting from a PE & Sport Premium Grant provided to which is being given to all schools to enhance the quality of sport provided for pupils. At Barnwood, £5500 has been allocated for 2013/14 and will be supplemented further over the next two years. The schools objective is to ensure that all pupils have access to high quality PE lessons, alongside greater opportunities for sporting participation, in competitions and sports clubs. To use the grant effectively, the school has a 3 year plan which includes:
*Procuring Extra Sports Kit, Equipment and Resources for PE and Sporting activities& clubs, current and new.
*Subscribing to Local and National Sports Networks will give access to inter school competitions and Improved Staff training opportunities.
*The provision of free transport for “sports” outings and the increased resources for playground games & activities complete the plan. Certainly it will enrich the abilities and ambitions of the Pupils and Staff.

A new school web site is under construction with the objective of enhancing the site and giving quicker and easier access to the elements of the site you wish to review. The end of September was the target completion date.

During October and November, the Singing Development Leader, from Gloucester Cathedral will be training Junior School Pupils in readiness for a Concert at the Cathedral, taking place on the 26th November. An organist and several choristers will accompany the Cathedral’s Singing Leader in the training process. The school is both thrilled and honoured to be chosen to participate in this event, with pupils eagerly awaiting the start of their training for this prestigious event.

Since the start of the new term the School Governors have been particularly busy with fund raising efforts and already a Family Quiz Night and a Ladies Pamper Evening have been organised. In conjunction with the PTA they are also planning the Annual Christmas Fayre which I understand will take place on the 6th December.

Barnwood Church of England Primary School is a valued part of the Community. It has a reputation for creating an Educational, Spiritual and Caring Environment for both Children and Staff. I think that their initiatives and developments at the start of this school year go a long way to demonstrating this!

Finally, let’s wish Anne and Julia every success in their new roles and commend the school Governors for their vision and pro-active initiatives.

Sunday, 10 August 2014

Big August Bank Holiday Fundraiser - Live at the Double Gloucester

Weekend starts on Friday with a tribute to the Blues Brothers, then continues all weekend with a massive tribute show on Sunday night, and our annual Cider festival, which this year shall be bigger than ever!



The fundraiser has been arranged by Paula Ryder who's little sister has spent most of her time in hospital. Paula is raising money for the charities who have supported them so that they can help more families. 'I am selling raffle tickets across a number of events to raise money, and will do the draw on the last weekend in August. I have raised £140 to date but want to raise much more, to make a real difference. FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paulas-Fundraising-Page/683079305108009?ref_type=bookmark

The draw will be taking place on Sunday 24th August. Tickets can be bought online, see my FB Page to get in touch and buy tickets. I will also be selling tickets in the Beachwood Arcade on Friday 22nd August and in the Double Gloucester.'

The charities are:

· Martha Care - Registered Charity 1119249

Martha Care offers help and support for families when their very sick children are admitted to hospital in an emergency or in crisis, supporting them with practical advice and emotional support on the wards when they need it. Martha Care provides a specialist “Martha Care” Family Support Worker to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Our biggest aim is to provide Martha Care workers to hospitals across the South West so all families in our area receive the support they need to be able to care for their sick child.

· Little Princess Trust - Registered Charity No. 1113172

As a result of treatment for cancer, most children will suffer hair loss as a side effect. Some boys and girls cope remarkably well but for others this can be very upsetting. They provide real-hair wigs, free of charge, to boys and girls across the UK and Ireland that have lost their own hair through cancer treatment. The wigs are provided free to children. However, the cost to the charity to purchase one wig is on average £350.

Tuesday, 22 July 2014

Barnwood Medical Centre: “Out with the Old in with the New”

It will be all change at the Barnwood Medical Practice with the relocation of the practice and its patients to the new Aspen Centre in Horton road which opens on 4th August. The Barnwood road site will close on the 1st August after 70 years of caring for patients at this location.

The modern, high–tech and eco-friendly Aspen Centre will meet the needs of the 6000 patients by offering the same caring and ultimately improved levels of service to all the patients from the Barnwood Practice.

Unlike the current site, there is ample car parking available in newly designated and controlled parking areas. An upgraded computer system will provide an immediate response with Patient information, whilst significantly ensuring that Patient confidentiality is always maintained.

As with any major project, the transition from one location to the other is always a very difficult period and the staff have worked diligently to make the transition as seamless as possible. However, Emily Abrahams, the Practice Manager is asking all patients for a little patience at this time and allow the new facility to get fully established. The installation of new equipment, furniture and the new ways of working for both staff and patient’s needs to be coordinated effectively. Inevitably, there will be “teething” troubles, however every effort has been made to alleviate the impact the move could have on certain patients including, the canvassing of the local bus company to provide a more frequent bus stopping point on Horton road for patients using the Aspen Centre.

Let’s wish Emily and everyone at the “new” Barnwood Medical Practice every success in their new environment. For more information about the relocation please call 01452 523362 or check the NHS Websites on www.barnwoodmedicalpractice.nhs.uk and www.aspencentre.co.uk.

Whittington Park Housing Development & Horsbere Drive

There is an obvious amount of development ongoing in Longford lane with new roads and construction sites springing up virtually overnight. The initial roadways and traffic systems accessing Horsebere Drive are already in place, presumably ready for the construction of the proposed new school. With this in mind I took the opportunity to review the Whittington Park Housing development with the Project Manager Martyn Brooks of Barratt Homes. Martyn advises me that there will be a total of 291 dwellings on the site; a mix of 1, 2. 3, 4 and 5 bedroom homes. 191 will be constructed by Barratts with the balance built by David Wilson Homes, a sister company of Barratts. Of these about 60 will be homes built for a Housing Association, which will provide the opportunity for shared ownership

This Project will take about four years to complete and sign off with a target date for completion of June 2018. The entrance to the site is established and there will be an ongoing programme of roadwork and sewerage development throughout 2014 and the first phase of 40 houses which has commenced with the laying of the initial foundations in late July and is expected to be completed by June next year. The Sales team are expected to be in place by late December this year or early 2015 at the latest.

As regards the emotive issue of flooding, Martyn has confirmed that considerable design efforts have been made to recognise this issue and as a result the development has been engineered to raise the site to appropriate levels. The surface water is to be drained via an extensive combination of piped sewers, swales, an attenuation pond and an associated outfall channel into Horsebere Brook.

Martyn is keen to foster relationships with the Longlevens Community and has offered to field any questions or concerns we may have about this development. Obviously, within a construction environment it is not advisable to visit him on site, however, he is contactable by personal phone or email, and the details are: 07500 034039 or his email address is: martyn.brooks@barratthomes.co.uk.

It is worth noting that Barratt’s form part of a “Considerate Constructors Scheme” which is a system that is in place, to promote the Contractor‘s presence within the Community, whilst simultaneously enhancing the image of the Contractor.

At this stage the contribution of David Wilson is fairly minimal; however, as the project develops their impact will be monitored also.

I do hope that this has given you an idea of what is happening on the Longford lane site, which will become a huge development in Longlevens, and will inevitably, have an impact on the whole community. We will continue to monitor the development of this project as it progresses.

Monday, 21 July 2014

Hucclecote Community Library Mythical Maze

As the schools enjoy a well- earned break Hucclecote library has launched its Summer Reading Challenge for 2014 - Mythical Maze, which is available to all children aged from 4 to 11 and will run from mid-July through to early September. The challenge is an ideal way for children to enhance their reading skills whilst embarking on a mythical adventure.

Children will a-mazed at what is going down at the library during the summer. Hopefully they will explore their imagination through a range of books available at the library and they will love finding their way around the Mythical Maze. As they read, they will encounter some larger than life characters from myths and legends. Fold Up posters are issued to allow the children to keep track and eventually complete their mazes with stickers from the library.

So why not join in, it’s all free, but hurry as you wouldn’t want to myth out on all the fun!

Also, a series of events is scheduled at the library throughout the holiday which you may want to take advantage of. These include:
  • Friday 8th August: Dragons and Mazes. Check with Library as numbers are limited.
  • Tuesday 12th August : Guide Dogs Event
  • Wednesday 13th August : Teddy Bears Picnic ( 0-4Year Olds)
  • Friday 22nd August: Where’s Wally – Lost in the maze. Come in fancy Dress –You could win a Prize.
  • • Thursday 28th August: Shrek Returns
  • Saturday 6th September: Last Day of Summer Reading Challenge. Medals and Certificates presented. - Don’t miss out!

    Don’t forget it’s free to join the library and the books and resources not only provide a wealth of imagination but can offer an alternative interest for the children during the holidays.

  • Thursday, 22 May 2014

    The Changing Face of the Our Community- Barnwood

    The constant reminders that the economy is on the upturn is well supported when you travel along Barnwood Road. Construction, Buildings Works and Civil Engineering projects are emerging rapidly, with an apparent urgency to get these projects completed as soon as possible.

    The major re- construction of the Wall Roundabout and its arterial road systems is well underway and work remains on target to be completed by the end of July 2014. This will be followed by the second phase of the works at C&G Roundabout; which is programmed to be completed by the end of October 2014. Work started in earnest in late February 2014 and has moved on quickly, despite the intricate planning involved in co-ordinating the Utility services of Gas, Electricity and Water to complete their individual installations. Traffic Management, is the other critical factor in the project, this is being successfully managed at this stage also!

    There has been a conscious effort for work to continue with the minimum of disturbance to vehicle users and local residents. The Contractor Hewlett Construction Ltd and Gloucestershire County Council, with support from Amey have agreed a timetable for traffic management to be fixed for a period between 09:00 and 15:00hours from Monday to Friday; this allows journeys to work and school to move freely without any lane disruption.

    Along Barnwood road; the old Barnwood Builders yard is being replaced by a new Morrison’s Shopping Outlet, which will also, incorporate twelve apartments. Behind the barriers that have been erected, there is a hive of activity, operating in a very safety conscious environment. Consequently the project is progressing to plan and the development is due for completion in time for Christmas. It is reassuring that Barnwood Construction is managing this project with the minimum of disturbance to traffic flow and the local residents around the site. Directly across the road at the Wotton Hall Club, the newly appointed “Spice House” Indian Restaurant and Takeaway seems to have appeared overnight? This is quite a coup for this ambitious and progressive club which is never afraid to work in partnership with other business. This alliance is a similar in many ways to the Club’ s agreement with the Post Office in 2010, which has proven a really successful venture. Early indications are that the Spice House food is a very good too!

    Moving along the Barnwood road towards the City; the Cross Keys Public House which has been closed for about a year is undergoing a complete make–over. It is to be re-opened as the Queens Fish & Chip Restaurant and Bar. There will be ample parking and the Beer Garden and Children’s Play Area will be retained. Work is well underway and the opening date of Mid July is on target to be met!

    At the junction of Barnwood road and Elmbridge road is the Barnwood Medical Practice. This long established Centre, which has been a focal point for the Community, will be closing, with all Patients being transferred to the new Medical Centre in Horton road. My understanding is that the new Centre will be responsible for the patients, not only, from Barnwood road, but from the practices at Heathville road and London road too. It will be interesting to see how this new Centre meets its obligations for this extensive number of patients?

    The results of this redevelopment will undoubtedly impact on our Environment, however this will hopefully be for the benefit of our Community and will ultimately provide a range of quality services that our Community quite rightly expects.